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Photos: Everett Collection, Getty Images, NBC ; Illustration: Dillen Phelps
George Wendt, the gifted comedic actor who played gregarious, beer-loving barfly Norm Peterson on the legendary NBC sitcom Cheers, passed away on Tuesday morning (May 20). He was 76.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, Wendt died peacefully in his sleep.
“George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend, and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him,” a family representative shared with THR. “He will be missed forever.”
Wendt, the uncle of Jason Sudeikis, portrayed the iconic Norm Peterson for 11 seasons on Cheers and played Chicago sports superfan Bob Swerski in the recurring Bill Swerski’s Superfans sketches on Saturday Night Live. Wendt also appeared in a number of films, including Fletch, Airplane II: The Sequel, Forever Young, The Little Rascals, Outside Providence, No Small Affair, Spice World, Sandy Wexler, Dreamscape, Guilty by Suspicion, and House.
Rest in peace to a true legend. Here’s how to watch a few of George Wendt’s best TV show and movie appearances online.
Where To Watch Cheers Online:
“Afternoon, everybody…”
Wendt was best known for his portrayal of affable barfly Norm Peterson on the classic NBC sitcom Cheers. The gifted comedic actor earned six consecutive Emmy nominations from 1984-1989 for his work on the series.
All 11 seasons of Cheers are streaming on Paramount+. Available for as little as $7.99/month, you can sample the service with a seven-day free trial. You can also add Paramount+ to your Prime Video account for an additional $7.99/month (or $12.99/month for Paramount+ with Showtime). Amazon also offers a free trial.
Additionally, you can watch the first four seasons of Cheers on Hulu, and Seasons 1, 2, 9, 10, and 11 are streaming for free on Pluto TV. Finally, individual episodes and complete seasons of Cheers are available to purchase on Amazon.
Is Cheers On Netflix or Peacock?
Nope. Unfortunately, Cheers isn’t streaming on Netflix or Peacock in the United States.
Where To Watch Fletch:
Wendt portrayed ex-convict Fat Sam in Chevy Chase’s 1985 comedy classic Fletch. Unfortunately, the film isn’t streaming in any of the usual spots (Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, Peacock, Paramount+), but you can rent Fletch on Amazon for $3.79.
Where To Watch Saturday Night Live’s Bill Swerski’s Superfans Sketches:
“Daaaaaa Bears.” Wendt memorably played Bob Swerski in a series of classic “Bill Swerski’s Superfans” sketches on Saturday Night Live. The bit, which first premiered during the January 12, 1991, episode of SNL (although the initial sketch doesn’t include Wendt), routinely featured Wendt, Chris Farley, Mike Myers, and Robert Smigel.
Wendt hosted Saturday Night Live twice. He first graced the stage of 8H in 1986, cohosting with Francis Ford Coppola in a memorable Season 11 episode. George hosted solo in 1991, which is where he debuted his Bob Swerski character. He reprised the role eight additional times on the late-night sketch series.
Saturday Night Live is streaming on Peacock, and a slew of “Bill Swerski’s Superfans” sketches are available on YouTube.
More to come…
RIP to a comedy legend.
English (US)